1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an adjustable density control means for a bagging machine and more particularly to an adjustable density control means for a bagging machine designed to fill or pack material such as silage, compost or the like into an elongated flexible bag. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a method and means for adjustably controlling the density of the material being filled or packed in the bag without the need for a backstop, cable brakes or other density control means located within the material being filled or packed in the bag.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural feed bagging machines have been employed for several years to fill, pack or bag silage or the like into elongated plastic bags. Two of the earliest bagging machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,687,061 and 4,046,068. In the prior art bagging machines, silage or the like is supplied to the forward or intake end of the bagging machine and is fed to a rotor which conveys the silage into a tunnel on which the bag is positioned so that the bag is filled. As silage is loaded into the bag, the bagging machine moves away from the filled end of the bag in a controlled fashion so as to achieve uniform compaction of the silage material within the bag. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,805, silage is forced by means of a rotor from the intake chamber of the machine through the output chamber of the machine and into the agricultural bag with a backstop structure yieldably engaging the closed end of the agricultural bag to resist the movement of the bagging machine away from the filled end of the agricultural bag as silage is forced into the bag. The structure of the ""805 patent includes a pair of drums rotatably mounted on the bagging machine with a brake associated therewith for braking or resisting the rotation of the drum with a selected brake force. A cable is wrapped around the drum and is connected to the backstop.
Although the cable drum and backstop structure of the ""805 patent and other similar machines do function generally satisfactorily, the cables, which are positioned on opposite sides of the bag, can create openings or holes in the bag which will adversely affect the fermentation process within the bag. A further disadvantage of the cable drum and backstop structure of the devices such as shown in the ""805 patent is that the cables must be rewound after the filling of an individual bag. A further disadvantage of the cable drum and backstop structure of the machine such as disclosed in the ""805 patent is that a dangerous condition exists should one of the cables break.
In an effort to overcome some of the disadvantages of machines such as disclosed in the ""805 patent, an attempt was made in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,666 to achieve the desired bagging operation while eliminating the need for the cable drum and backstop structure. In the ""666 patent, the wheels on the bagging machine were braked to provide the desired resistance to the filling of the bag. Although the brake system of the ""666 patent apparently met with some success, it is believed that machines such as disclosed in the ""666 patent experience slippage difficulties in wet field conditions which adversely affect the bagging operation. It is also believed that the brake means alone on the bagging machine such as those disclosed in the ""666 patent do not achieve the desired compaction of the silage material within the bag.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,377, applicant devised a simple way of controlling the density of the bagged material. In the ""377 patent, a density control means was described which included a plurality of cables which were positioned in the flow of the silage material being bagged. In order to vary the density of the material in the machine of the ""377 patent, more or less cables would be employed based on the material being packed. For example, corn silage flows easy and would require more cables while alfalfa packs hard and would use less cables. The need to have a convenient means for varying the density, by way of the density control cables, exists and the instant invention provides such a means.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,220, a density control means was described which included a pair of intersecting cables positioned in the flow of the silage material being bagged. In order to vary the density of the material in the machine of the ""220 patent, the relationship of the intersecting or crisscrossing cables was varied. Applicant has also received U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,849; 5,464,049; 5,517,806; 5,671,594; 5,857,313; 5,894,713; 5,899,247; 5,960,612; and 6,443,194 relating to means for controlling the density of the materials being filled or packed into bags. In each of the patents described above, the density of the material in the bag is controlled by a density control means positioned in the path of the material being bagged. Although it is believed that the above-identified patents of applicant represent significant advances in the art, it is believed that the instant invention truly represents a significant further advance in the art.
A bagging machine is disclosed for packing or filling material such as silage, compost or the like into a bag. The bagging machine comprises a mobile frame having rearward and forward ends. A material forming enclosure or tunnel is mounted on the mobile frame and has an intake end which receives the material to be bagged and an output end which receives the open mouth of the bag. A material filling or packing apparatus is provided on the frame which moves the material to be bagged rearwardly into the material forming enclosure and into the bag. The material filling or packing apparatus may be a screw conveyor, rotor, packing fingers, etc. A flexible sheet member or belt member is operatively secured to the frame and extends rearwardly with respect to the frame between the bag being filled and the ground to resist the movement of the bagging machine away from the fixed end of the bag. The flexible sheet member is wound upon a rotatable member which may be selectively reversibly driven so as to vary the length of the sheet member which is positioned beneath the bag being filled to adjustably control the density of the material being filled or packed into the bag. The invention also causes the bag to be stretched, thereby increasing the effective length thereof and to reduce wrinkles in the bag. The flexible sheet member may also be utilized to position the folded bag onto the material forming enclosure.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method and means for achieving adjustable density in the filling or packing of materials such as silage, grain, compost or the like into a bag.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of achieving adjustable density in the filling or packing of materials into a bag by extending a flexible belt or sheet member under the bag between the bag and the ground.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and means of the type described wherein a flexible belt or sheet member is adjustably extended beneath the bag thereby causing the weight of the filled bag to rest on the extended belt or sheet member.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and means of the type described which also smoothes the ground beneath the bag.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method and means of the type described which may be also used to assist in the installation of the bag on the material forming enclosure or tunnel.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and means of the type described wherein a flexible belt or sheet member is adjustably extended beneath the bag thereby causing the weight of the filled bag to rest on the extended belt or sheet member which resists the forward movement of the machine, thereby causing the bag to be stretched to increase the effective length thereof and to reduce wrinkles in the filled bag.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.